The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Chapter 20

From the time of their deliverance from Egypt to the day of Ezekiel, the people of Israel have rebelled and failed to keep the commandments—In the last days, the Lord will gather Israel and restore His gospel covenant.

1 And it came to pass in the seventh ayear, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the belders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and sat before me.

2 Then came the word of the Lord unto me, saying,

3 Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye come to inquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be ainquired of by you.

4 Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the aabominations of their fathers:

5 ¶And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; In the day when I achose Israel, and blifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the cLord your God;

6 In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to abring them forth of the land of Egypt into a bland that I had cespied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the dglory of all lands:

7 Then said I unto them, aCast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

8 But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my afury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

9 But I wrought for my aname’s sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.

10 ¶Wherefore I acaused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.

11 And I gave them my astatutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even blive in them.

12 Moreover also I gave them my asabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that bsanctify them.

13 But the house of Israel arebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they bdespised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the cwilderness, to consume them.

14 But I wrought for my name’s sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.

15 Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the aland which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;

16 Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their aheart went after their idols.

17 Nevertheless mine eye aspared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.

18 But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your afathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:

19 I am the Lord your God; walk in my astatutes, and keep my judgments, and do them;

20 And ahallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a bsign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.

21 Notwithstanding the children arebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.

22 Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name’s sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth.

23 I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would ascatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;

24 Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers’ idols.

25 Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;

26 And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass athroughthe bfire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the cend that they might dknow that I am the Lord.

27 ¶Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Yet in this your fathers have ablasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.

28 For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings.

29 Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name thereof is called Bamah unto this day.

30 Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations?

31 For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you.

32 And that which cometh into your amind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the bheathen, as the families of the countries, to serve cwood and stone.

33 ¶As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:

34 And I will bring you out from the people, and will agather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.

36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God.

37 And I will cause you ato pass under the brod, and I will bring you into the bond of the ccovenant:

38 And I will apurge out from among you the brebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not center into the dland of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but apollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your bidols.

40 For in mine holy amountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord God, there shall all the house of bIsrael, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I caccept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.

41 I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and agather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be bsanctified in you before the heathen.

42 And ye shall aknow that I am the Lord, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I blifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers.

43 And there shall ye aremember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.

44 And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have wrought with you for my name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord God.

45 ¶Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

46 Son of man, set thy aface toward the south, and bdropthy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest cof the south field;

47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

48 And all flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it: it shall not be quenched.

49 Then said I, Ah Lord God! they asay of me, Doth he not speak parables?